Before the start of the season, the New England Patriots traded third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Philip Dorsett. In November, the Patriots shipped backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick. While those looked like ordinary roster moves for the Patriots, NFL analyst and broadcaster Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports thought otherwise as he presented a conspiracy theory involving head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.
.@ColinCowherd has a theory why the Patriots traded Jimmy G and Jacoby Brissett: "That [Robert Kraft] chose Brady over Belichick it ticked off Belichick and he got rid of the future." pic.twitter.com/k7dYyOI03i
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 22, 2017
According to Cowherd, Belichick traded their two backup quarterbacks for peanuts due to his grudge against team owner Robert Kraft.
Based on Cowherd’s theory, Belichick wanted to move forward with Garoppolo as starting quarterback to provide that he could win without the 40-year-old Tom Brady. However, Kraft dumped the idea, believing that Brady still has it to lead them to victory. Belichick did not take the rejection lightly, as he traded away their two promising backup quarterbacks for peanuts, virtually sabotaging the Patriots’ long-term future. Both Brissett and Garoppolo started for the Patriots during Brady’s four-game suspension last season.
Brissett, Garoppolo both emerged as starters
Brissett and Garoppolo eventually became starting quarterbacks for the Colts and the 49ers, respectively. Brissett has started in place of Andrew Luck, who did not play this season due to a shoulder injury, while Garoppolo replaced the ineffective C.
J. Beathard. In 14 games, Brissett has completed 245-of-411 passes for 2,769 yards and 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions and ran 55 times for 234 yards and four touchdowns for the 3-11 Colts. Garoppolo, for his part, has led the 49ers to three wins in as many starts. Garoppolo has completed 79-of-115 passes for 1,026 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions for the 49ers (4-10).
Another controversy for Patriots
Cowherd’s conspiracy theory will be an additional controversy for the Patriots, who are already dealing with the feud between Belichick and Brady’s trainer/friend Alex Guerrero. Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe reported that Belichick stripped Guerrero of his special team privileges, like boarding team flights and staying on the sideline during games.
Belichick also prohibited Guerrero from treating players other than Brady at his exclusive office in Gillette Stadium. Based on information from his sources, Hohler said the move has created some tension between Belichick and Brady, who both deflected questions about Guerrero during the Patriots’ Friday media availability.
